Chefs Star 1800W Portable Induction Cooktop Review

Induction cooking takes place when the induction cooktop creates a magnetic field within the bottom of the cookware you put on top of the cooktop’s cooking plate. The plate does not heat up like a typical electric or gas range. Instead, all the action takes place in the actual pan itself-put more precisely, the ‘heating disk’ at the bottom of the pan. The heat originates from here and radiates out to the rest of the pan to cook food or boil water placed in the cookware. As straightforward as this operation might seem, you have to pay attention to the following key factors to ensure you buy just the induction cooktop that meets all your induction cooking needs.

Selection factors

To make sure you make the right call as far as your induction cooktop choice goes, please keep in mind the following: heat range or temperature settings, portability, control usability, ease of maintenance or cleaning, and how well it accommodates a wide range of pans and pots with different types of cladding (from aluminum to stainless steel to cast iron).

The first thing that jumps out at you about this model is that it offers pricing that aims to be the best price for induction cooktops. Not a bad start. But pricing is just part of the equation. Here’s how it stacks when it comes to other selection criteria that determine the best buy induction cooktop.

Heat range

The Chef’s Star 1800W Portable Induction Cooktop comes with 15 heat settings. Whether you’re boiling soup, stewing, or frying and many other cooking activities, this model has a wide enough range of cooking and heat settings to cover your needs. Its temperature range starts at 140 degrees Fahrenheit and tops out at 465 degrees Fahrenheit. In terms of power, you can set it at anywhere from 200 to 1800 watts. This comes in very handy if you want to actively minimize your monthly electricity bill. You can easily switch from temperature display to power display so there’s no mystery regarding the heat you’re generating or the power you’re consuming. Given its reliable heating and clear heat/power indicator, it’s no surprise this model is one of the best rated portable induction range units on the Web. Not too shabby.

Portability

To determine the best range portable induction cooktop, portability must be a key factor. This unit puts in quite a show on this front. Weighing in at 6.5 pounds, this unit’s weight is just right for most cooks. You don’t want a unit that is so light that the moment you accidentally push it to the side, it slides over. This is a serious problem if you have a small light pan on top of your induction range-and the pan is red hot! Ouch! Instead, this unit is heavy enough so it doesn’t slide around. Still, it isn’t so heavy that you can’t quickly and conveniently transport it from location to location or take it with you on the road.

In terms of storage, this unit also has your comfort and convenience covered because its dimensions are a very manageable 16.4 x 12.7 x 3.4 inches. This means you don’t have to devote a huge amount of storage space for it. Also, assuming you have light materials you’re storing, you can confidently place some light items on top of this cooktop and not have to worry that it will be damaged. Of course, you shouldn’t go overboard with the weight.

Easy controls

In terms of easy operations, the Chef’s Star 1800W Portable Induction Cooktop is a solid performer. Its control panel is easy to figure out and is very straightforward. No advanced Jedi Ninja skills needed. Also, if you were to take off the pan from this cooktop, the unit will automatically shut down. Talk about a great way to boost safety around your kitchen!

If you’d rather see the settings in temperature degrees or power wattage, you can quickly toggle between the two types of display with a click on the digital control panel. This unit seems designed for your maximum convenience because it also comes with a timer just in case you won’t be around to turn it off. Finally, you can say goodbye to those annoying ‘Defcon warning’-style cooktop notification sounds. This cooktop’s beeping sound is not loud and obnoxious. Given this attention to small but important details, it is no wonder this model is one of the best rated portable induction cooktop models on the market for its class.

Clean up and maintenance

As long as you’re proactive with cleaning this cooktop’s surface after every use, you will not have anything to worry about in terms of clean up and maintenance. Just take the pot off for the unit to automatically turn off. Wait for the cooking panel to cooldown (it doesn’t take long at all since all the actual heating action takes place at the bottom of your pot or pan). Quickly wipe with a slightly soapy sponge or cloth. Follow up with a moist cloth and you’re done. It’s that quick and drama-free.

Why is this a big deal? Long clean up times can lead to you just letting your unit look nasty and neglected. Indeed, you might be so turned off by your cooktop’s shabby appearance you might be tempted to replace it post haste thereby jacking up your costs. For this reason, this model can be considered a good contender for best price induction cooktop. It’s easy on the wallet plus its other features make its buyers claim that this model is the best portable induction cooktop they’ve ever bought.

Heating quality

Unlike other cooktops in the market, the Chef’s Star 1800W Portable Induction Cooktop isn’t widely known to have ‘hot spots.’ Instead of just one part of your pan heating up to a high temperature, the heat this model generates is very evenly distributed. This is a big deal! How come? You can save a tremendous amount of time stirring to distribute heat. You just need to stir to make sure the mixture you’re cooking doesn’t stick to the bottom of your pot or pan. Thanks to quick and evenly distributed heating, you can cook your meals fairly quickly.

Having surmounted this fairly common drawback among induction cooktops, this model has understandably been praised as the best induction cooktop or a far superior small induction cooktop. It’s hard to find fault with reviewers and buyers making such claims. The nice package of features and solid value this unit brings to the table makes it very tempting to consider it the best portable induction burner for its price range.

Pan accommodation

Some induction cooktop models are known to be very finicky when it comes to the pans they work with. You almost have to buy cookware that carries the same brand as the cooktop to ensure your pans will work with your induction range. Talk about an expensive solution! Well, you won’t have that problem with the Chef’s Star 1800W Portable Induction Cooktop. As long as the cookware you’re using has enough iron in its construction, this cooktop model can accommodate a wide range of cookware. From ceramic/stainless steel composites to aluminum and steel cladding-sporting cookware, this Chef’s Star model will be up to the job of generating the right amount of magnet-produced heat to ensure you cook your meals quickly and conveniently.

Overall value

All in all, the Chef’s Star 1800W Portable Induction Cooktop is a solid choice. Not only does it have all the temperature variability and ease of use and maintenance most buyers of induction cooktops are looking for, it is also very portable. If space is cramped where you’re staying or you’d like to take this unit on the road, you won’t have any problems. Best of all, it does all of this for a comparatively very low price. Indeed, at this model’s price point, you can easily afford several of these units to maximize your cooking volume.

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